


Temporary Addition

by SometimesAnAries



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Alpha is a fireball of hate, Church of Satan, Friendship, Google Translate Swedish, Humor, Injury, Interviews, Mario Kart, Mentions of stage fright, Multi, Papa is a bit of a drama queen, Satanism, Sister Imperator does not put up with Papa's shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-04-08 00:26:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19096003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SometimesAnAries/pseuds/SometimesAnAries
Summary: Alpha gets hurt during practice and isn't able to be a part of the upcoming tour. What else can they do but find a replacement?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is my first Ghost story. I had this idea a while back but never actually did anything with it until now! I hope you enjoy!

"Our Father who art in Hell. Unhallowed be thy name. Cursed be the sons and daughters of thine nemesis whom are to blame. Thy kingdom come. Nema." Papa Emeritus III sang as he took his spot on the center of the small stage. The practice was going rather well considering. Last time they were on this stage Alpha had flipped out on Water and Papa was in no mood for that again. 

Alpha stepped up onto his platform to play the solo, fingers working mindlessly as his muscle memory kicked in. Only four notes in, he stepped too far forward and slipped off the front of his platform, falling off of the stage and onto the ground in front of a small cluster of chairs. The loud ringing from his guitar echoed off the walls and almost deafened the Unholy Pope as he covered his ears.

"Fuck!!" The fire ghoul shouted, rolling onto his side and practically throwing the guitar off of him, causing the amp to emit a loud bang. 

Omega set his instrument down to hop off the stage and check on his friend. "You ok?" He asked.

"No I'm fucking not!" was Alpha's reply. 

Papa couldn't stop the sigh that escaped his lips. So much for this practice going well. "What's wrong?" He asked, trying to sound concerned, but it came out as annoyed.

Omega had made his way to the fallen ghoul, kneeling next to him. He was clutching his leg as he gritted his teeth, "I think I fucking broke something."

"Shit," Emeritus cursed. This was bad. They were only two months away from the American tour and they had been working day and night for the past few weeks to perfect the performance. 

Water and Earth had made their way to the front of the stage to get a look at the guitarist as the Aether ghoul helped him stand. It was plain to see through his skinny jeans that his right leg wasn't sitting correctly. There was a prominent bulge on the side of his shin that shouldn't be there.

"Take him to the hospital wing Omega," Papa grumbled, covering his face with his right hand, "We'll continue practice later."

The remaining ghouls shuffled from the stage as Omega helped Alpha out the side door and to the hospital wing.

Once Papa was left alone on the stage he screamed "Fuck!" before throwing the microphone across the room. He grit his teeth as he watched the piece of equipment shatter as it hit the wall. He had been preparing for this tour without being relieved of any of his daily papal duties and the stress of being overworked was taking a toll on him. He had argued with Sister Imperator about tour costs, shouted at the costume designer for trying to change his outfits without consulting him, listened to his brother's criticisms on his singing style, had made multiple changes in the set list. Papa was at his wits end and now the fucking lead guitarist decided to go and get himself hurt. He could only hold out and hope the ghoul would be in decent shape before the tour. If he had actually broken a bone though, even a ghoul wouldn't be able to heal fast enough.

Papa let out a sigh for the umpteenth time that day before storming off of the stage.

 

* * *

  

"What do you mean he fractured both?" Papa asked, "Both what?"

"Both of his bones Emeritus," Sister Imperator sighed, "The tibia and the fibula. Pay attention, I do not have time to repeat myself." The sister had made her way down to the hospital to check on the ghoul once she heard the news. Despite Papa thinking he was in charge of everything, Sister Imperator was in charge of the tour dates and locations, therefore this was just as concerning to her as it was to him. If the band lost their lead guitarist, she would have quite a bit of phone calls to make to reschedule everything. She had really hoped that wasn't something she would have to add to her list of things to do, but with the news, it wasn't looking good for her.

"So what does this mean for Ghost?" Papa pressed, shuffling from foot to foot. It was obvious he didn't like being in this part of the church.

"It means you'll have to find a new lead guitarist," Imperator explained, "The ghoul will not be healed in two months."

Papa rolled his eyes and turned his back to the woman, "Fine. Let me know when you find one."

"No!" Imperator shouted at the man, "I am not doing your job for you Emeritus. It is your responsibility to maintain your band and find suitable members."

He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, "Well I am delegating it to you." Papa began his ascent up the stairs and out of the bowels of the church, heading to his room.

"I will agree to locate potential replacements," the sister continued, trailing not far behind him. She was not going to let him win this, "but you must sit in on the interviews, and once we find a suitable replacement, it is your job to get them tour ready."

"Fine," He groaned, already fed up with the conversation. Papa just wanted her to leave him alone, was that too much to ask?

"I'm serious Papa," Imperator snapped, "This is not my job. It is yours."

After opening the door to his room he turned to face the woman. She wore a deep scowl, one that almost made him second guess his next words, almost. "I heard you the first time Sister. Now if you wouldn't mind leaving me the fuck alone, I have work to do." The sister opened her mouth to protest, but Papa didn't hear her next words as he slammed the door in her face. 

Turning on his heel, Papa made his way to the mini bar to the right of his room. It was a rather extravagant room, with a leather couch sitting in the middle facing a large flat screen TV. The mini bar housed several different types of liquors including wine, which was Papa's choice for the evening. To the left was a door that led to the bedroom that housed a king sized four poster bed. Pouring a glass of red wine, Papa kicked off his shoes and grabbed the bottle, opting to drink in bed so he wouldn't have to stumble to it later. Shouldering open the door he looked at his bed and was greeted with a delicious site. He had forgotten that he had invited Sister Selina to his bed this evening. 

"Hello Papa," She smiled up at the man, "I've been waiting for you." Papa eyed her naked form as he approached the bed.

"I hope not too long my beautiful Sister," He purred, putting on his charm as he handed her the glass of wine and keeping the bottle for himself. This was exactly what he needed to forget the stresses of the day.

 

* * *

  

"What a fucking asshole!" Alpha spat as he grabbed the Xbox controller.

"He's got a lot on his mind man," Omega shrugged, holding the opposite controller, "Being Papa can't be an easy job."

"I don't give a shit," The fire ghoul countered, "I broke my leg for his stupid band and he can't even ask me how I'm doing? No he's got to bitch and whine because he's gotta replace me. Fuck him."

"It's the church's band, so be careful what you say about it," Omega corrected him.

"And you broke your leg falling of the stage," Earth added.

"Fuck you both!" Alpha growled, hitting the buttons on his controller harder.

"So what are we going to do about a lead guitarist?" Air piped up from his seat in the back of the room.

"I heard Sister Imperator talking about bringing in a temp," Earth turned to the keyboardist, "someone to tour with till Fire gets better."

"Nobody can replace me," Alpha rolled his eyes, tilting his body to the side to make his vehicle turn sharper, "Not in two fucking months."

"They'll need to find a damn good guitarist," Water mumbled from his spot on the floor, making Air turn to look at him.

"Dude I thought you were sleeping."

"Yea me too," Water responded quietly before closing his eyes.

Suddenly Alpha dropped his controller, looking at Omega in shock. Omega held back a smile, keeping his eyes on the screen even though he could see from the corner of his eye that he had pissed the man next to him off.

"A blue fucking shell dude? Seriously?" The fire ghoul growled.

"You mad bro?" Omega choked out, trying to hold in his laughter.

"A BLUE FUCKING SHELL!?" Alpha attempted to tackle the considerably larger ghoul as he passed the finish line, winning the game of Mario Kart.

"Sit down firecracker you are going to hurt yourself," Omega pushed him away lightly, mindful of his injury, "You broke your leg six hours ago, chill out."

Alpha sat down, but not without crossing his arms and letting out a huff. It wasn't long before the two were back at it, Alpha demanding a rematch. Omega happily obliged, knowing the game was the only thing keeping his friend's mind off of his broken leg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it for chapter 1! The next chapter will be the interviews. I wonder who they will replace our fiery Alpha with.
> 
> I don't usually write such short chapters but I thought this would be a good stopping point and I'm just kind of writing this as I go along. I have a bit of an idea where I'm going with this but that's about it.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! I love feedback!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papa and Sister begin looking for a lead guitarist

"Next!" Sister Imperator called once the large burly man had left the room. Papa Emeritus sat next to her, pushing a speck of dust around the desk. The two had been interviewing lead guitarists to replace his ghoul and he was utterly bored with it. They were all the same. 'I'm a huge fan. I'd love to play with Ghost.' Most of them couldn't keep the huge grin off their face as the Sister asked them questions about their history, cutting their eyes at him as they were starstruck by being in the same room with him. Usually the conceited man would have loved the attention, offering to take a few of the interviewees to his bed, but with Imperator next to him that was out of the question. Besides, he didn't need a guitarist that would swoon at his feet. He needed one that would take the job seriously so they would have at least a slim chance at pulling off this tour.

He eyed the skinny young man that had taken a seat across from them. His eyes were wide and he was fidgeting. Papa was already not impressed.

"What are some of your major influences? What drives you to play music?" Sister Imperator asked, watching the man intently.

"Well Ghost definitely," He laughed nervously, "But also Metallica, Motley Crue, Kiss, to name a few."

Papa had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Every single person that walked through that door answered the question the same. It was so obvious they were trying to appeal to him, and it only annoyed him even more. If another person said Ghost was their influence he was going to throw his phone at them.

"Why do you think you're a good fit for this position?" Sister asked, "What makes you stand out from the rest?"

"Well I'm a huge fan, of course," He started, "I also have experience touring."

"Do you understand what it takes to tour?" Papa spoke up for the first time since he had entered the interview room. 

The man met his eyes, gulping before taking a deep breath to reply, "For the most part yea. I mean I can't say I've ever done a tour as big as the ones you guys do, but I get the concept."

"Being away from home for months. Jumping from time zone to time zone with very little rest, cooped up in a small tour bus with others who are just as irritated as you. Sleeping on shitty hotel beds in shitty hotels who lost your reservations. That concept?" Papa was glaring at the boy, watching as he shriveled up under his intense gaze.

"Umm...yes sir," He answered politely.

Papa let out an irritated sigh. He hated being called sir. He was a Dark Pope and the lead singer of a Satanic fucking rock band, he wasn't a fucking 'Sir'.

"Thank you for your time," Imperator spoke up, seeing Papa's negative reaction for what it was, "We'll be in touch."

"T-thank you," He stuttered as he stood from his seat.

Once the door was closed Papa cocked his head to the side to meet the Sister's eyes, "That is all for the day yes?"

"Not quite," She responded, "Unless you were impressed with..." She looked down at the paper in front of her, "Elijah."

"Bring in the next one," He grumbled, setting his right elbow on the table to prop his head in his hand.

"Next!" Sister Imperator called again.

The door opened and a girl walked in, catching Papa by surprise. All previous interviewees had been men. She was a tiny thing, standing maybe 5 foot tall. She had long black hair with purple streaks and bright blue eyes. She gave Papa a kind smile before looking at the Sister and giving her one as well. 

"You are Violet Clearwater correct?" Sister Imperator read from the paper in front of her.

"Yes that's correct," Violet nodded as she took a seat.

"How are you this afternoon Violet?" Imperator began the same as she had the rest of them.

"Well," Violet smiled, "A bit cold, but well."

"Cold?" She asked, "It's May."

"Yes. In Sweden," Violet chuckled.

"I take it you're not from Sweden then?"

"No ma'am. I'm from the East Coast of the United States."

"What brings you to Sweden then?"

"This interview."

"You came all the way out to Sweden for an interview?" Sister Imperator didn't believe the girl.

"I did," Violet answered honestly, "I mean, I'm also sightseeing while I'm here, I don't plan on wasting this trip, but I'm essentially here for this interview."

"Well let us get to it then shall we?" Imperator looked down at her paper and began her questioning, "How long have you played guitar?"

"About ten years now."

"And what made you interested in learning music?"

"A friend of mine was classically trained, and he was really good. I told myself I wanted to be as good as him. So I've been striving for that ever since."

Sister Imperator nodded, so far impressed with the girl. "Name some of your influences."

Violet sighed, looking away for a moment, "Well I guess it depends on what kind of guitar I'm wanting to play at the time. I dabble in both metal and blues. If I'm feeling metal guitar Metallica is always fun, Tool, Deftones, Chevelle, and as much as I hate to admit it, Slipknot. For blues it's Pink Floyd, Tracy Chapman, Eric Clapton."

"Why not Slipknot?" Papa piped up.

Violet turned to him for the first time since she sat down, "It's simple, fast, power chords. There's nothing wrong with that, there's just no challenge to it. Slipknot was the band that got me into heavier music, so despite how simple they are they hold a special place in my heart." She held eye contact with him and spoke to him clearly and easily, something he had yet to see in any of the people who had taken a seat in that chair. She had definitely piqued his interest.

"If you found yourself dealing with performance anxiety, how would you handle it?" The sister continued her questioning.

Violet's eyes darted back to Imperator's, her attention back on the sister. "Fight through it," she said, "I haven't experience anxiety on stage in awhile, but the last time I did I just fought through it and continued. Freezing in the middle of a set is the worst thing someone can do, and it just elevates the anxiety."

"What makes you feel you are a good fit for this position?" Imperator pushed forward, getting to the end of her questioning, "What makes you stand out from the rest?"

"Diversity," She answered simply. To explain herself she continued, "I get the feeling most of the people sitting outside that door are hardcore metal heads," Violet threw up devil horns for emphasis, "I can shred just as good as the next guy, but I can also play a deep bluesy solo with my heart and soul."

"Do you realize you will only be playing our current songs," Papa chimed in, "We are not looking for a permanent replacement, only someone who can tour with us."

Her eyes were on him once again, "Yes I understand."

"Then why do you feel your 'diversity' in music matters?" He asked, putting up air quotations, "We will only need you to play the notes, not create your own music."

"Anybody can play the notes," She countered, "but when it comes to a solo, metal or blues, there has to be emotion behind it. The crowd has to feel it. I've been on the receiving end of a Ghost performance and I can say from personal experience I look forward to Alpha's guitar solos. They speak to me in a way I can't describe. I wouldn't even attempt to recreate that if I didn't have a background in blues."

The two held eye contact for several moments. Papa was thoroughly impressed by her response. He hadn't expected that. This was the first time someone had admitted they were a fan without it sounding utterly boring to him. 

"Do you understand what it takes to go on a tour of this magnitude?" Sister Imperator broke the silence with the question Papa had asked the previous interviewee.

Violet tore away from the Dark Pope's gaze to focus on the woman, "I've toured before, never through different time zones and never for more than a week or two, so I can imagine this would be considerably more difficult. If the jet lag I'm feeling from flying to Sweden from the U.S. is any inclination, it's probably going to suck quite a bit. It's not fun if it's easy though right?"

"Very well," Sister Imperator nodded, "That is all of the questions I have. Papa, do you have any more questions for Violet?"

"Is the contact information we have for you accurate?" He asked.

Violet began to nod, but stopped herself, "Well my phone number won't work here. The e-mail is correct though. If you'd like I can give you the information to the hotel I'm at."

"That would be ideal yes," Papa nodded.

After writing down the hotel's phone number and her room number, Violet shook Sister Imperator and Papa's hands before exiting the room.

 

There were several minutes of silence before Imperator cleared her throat, "Should I call in the next one Papa?"

He shook his head, looking down on the girl's handwriting, "No I think we are done for the day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooo who is this new girl? And is Papa finally in a decentish mood? No ghouls this time, but next chapter maybe?
> 
> Thanks for reading! Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Sitting down at the hotel bar, Violet grabbed a menu to peruse the options. She wasn't much of a drinker, and she didn't know what half of the mixed drinks listed were. The bartender must have noticed her struggle because he came over to her and leaned onto the bar.

"Hello there," He greeted, "Do you know what you'd like to drink or would you like a few recommendations?" He was a taller man, with short dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She hated stereotypes but he really was the stereotypical Swedish man. He had kind eyes and a warm smile.

She gave him a polite smile, "If you wouldn't mind, I'd love a recommendation."

The bartender leaned over her menu and took a peek, "Well if you like vodka I would recommend the Moscow Mule."

Violet wrinkled her nose at the mention of vodka, "I'm not really one for vodka. I prefer whiskey honestly."

He nodded, taking a moment to think. Looking up at her he asked, "Do you like sweet drinks?"

"Not too sweet," She shook her head.

"Alright. How about I surprise you then?" He straightened back up.

She gave him a smile, "Alright. I'm trusting you."

 

After a few minutes the bartender returned with a short, fat glass filled to the brim with ice and a tea colored liquid. "Here. Try it."

Violet took a small sip. It tasted almost like lemonade, but not like the overly sugary lemonade from back home. The whiskey and lemon complemented each other nicely, with neither flavor overpowering the other. With an impressed nod she looked up at the bartender, "It's good."

Violet was awarded with a bright smile from the bartender, "I'm glad you like it. I thought you would. Now would you like to pay for this here or put it on your room?"

"On the room is fine. I'll probably be having more than one of these before the night is over," She chuckled. Violet had been on edge since her interview with Sister Imperator and Papa Emeritus the Third. She had thought it had gone well, but there was no way for her to know for sure. That had been two days ago and she still hadn't heard anything from them. With only two more days left at her hotel, if she didn't hear anything soon she would be forced to return back to the U.S. Her visit had been fun, and she really had taken a liking to Sweden. It was a bummer that she would have to leave soon, but in the meantime she planned on getting a bit drunk to soothe her mind and allow her to enjoy her remaining time.

"So what brings you to Sweden?" The man asked.

Taking a sip from her drink she nodded, "I came here for a job interview."

"Oh?" He leaned onto the bar so he wasn't towering over her, "Did you get the job?"

"I don't think so," She admitted sheepishly, "I haven't gotten an answer and my room is only paid up for another two days."

"I'm sorry to hear that," He gave her a pouty face.

The pair chatted for some time. Violet asked for another drink once her first was empty and he continued talking to her as he made it. His name was Hugo and he had been working at the hotel for seven years as a bartender. She found out he was born in Stockholm and had just gotten out of a bad relationship. Three drinks in and Violet was feeling pretty good. Hugo told her he wasn't going to give her another drink until she had a glass or two of water, stating he wanted to make sure she could get back to her room without help. After giving her a glass of ice water he excused himself to answer the phone. He spoke in Swedish and Violet couldn't make out a word he was saying. Despite traveling all the way to Sweden, she didn't know a single word in the native language. Luckily, Sweden was one of the top countries for English as a second language. 

"I'm sorry dear but you did say your name was Violet correct?" Hugo asked quietly as he held his hand over the bottom of the phone.

She furrowed her brows in confusion at the question but nodded anyways.

"Ja hon är här. Vill du prata med henne?" Hugo spoke in Swedish to the person on the line. He then turned to her and handed her the phone, "It is for you Violet."

She grabbed the phone and gave him a very confused look. He held up his hands as if to silently say 'I don't know'. Putting the phone to her ear she said, "Hello this is Violet."

"Hello Violet. This is Papa Emeritus the Third."

Her eyes grew wide at his voice and her heart began thumping rapidly in her chest. "Hello," She said, unsure of what else to say at the moment.

"I am told this is the phone at the hotel bar. Is that correct?"

"Yes it is."

"Tell me Violet. Have you been drinking?"

"I...yea a bit." She admitted, hoping the man didn't think less of her for it.

"Do you feel you are sober enough for this conversation? Or should I call back at a later time?" It was hard for her to read his voice. She wasn't sure if he was annoyed that she may be too drunk or if he was just being professional.

"Not at all," She told him, not wanting to lose the opportunity presented to her, "I can definitely have this conversation now."

"Good. I'm calling because we wish to bring you in for a...trial of sorts. I would like to see how well you perform on a stage, and with the ghouls. Does that sound like something you would be interested in?"

Violet did her best to stop the stupid grin from forming on her face. She failed miserably. "Yea I'm definitely interested." 

"How does tomorrow sound then? I would not wish to ask you to do this today if you have been drinking."

"Tomorrow sounds good." Violet nodded even though Papa couldn't see her on the other end.

"Good. I will send for a driver to pick you up at 10 a.m. It would be best to give the ghouls time to...wake up."

"Good. Great. Ten a.m. then." Her grin was beginning to hurt her cheeks and she still couldn't stop it.

"I will see you tomorrow then Violet. Have a good evening."

"See you tomorrow. And thank you, you as well." Violet handed the phone to Hugo, who had been watching her with anticipation for some time now.

"Well?" He asked.

She pressed her hands to the sides of her face, trying to force her cheeks down, "I got a second interview!"

Hugo grinned widely, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" She practically squealed, "I'm not drinking anymore either. I need to not have a hangover tomorrow."

"Great idea," He nodded, "I will close out the tab. You have a wonderful evening Violet, and good luck tomorrow."

Violet took a cold shower, hoping it would help her sober up a bit, and maybe calm her nerves as well. Once she was out of the shower, she took a few Tylenol as a precaution and tucked herself into bed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The driver showed up at 10 a.m. sharp, and Violet made sure she was standing outside the hotel with her guitar, waiting for him when he arrived. He pulled up in an all black, blocky looking sedan. Stepping out of the drivers seat, the man walked around the car and opened the door to the back seat for her. She thanked him and stepped in, sliding her guitar case in next to her. 

The ride was quiet, and it wasn't very long before they were driving down a long gravel road leading to a large gothic looking building hidden amongst the trees. Stepping out of the car, she saw two large doors at the front surrounded by arches of red stained glass. There were several different scenes playing out on the glass, all of which reminded her this was a Satanic church. Violet was a Satanist herself, though being a Satanist in America, there were no churches or temples for her to go to. The Church of Satan in America was very much present, but they had no brick and mortar buildings, as America was still very much a Christian country. Seeing an actual Satanic church was amazing to her.

"Follow me please," The driver said as he rounded the vehicle. It was the first thing she had heard him say since he picked her up, and she quickly followed behind him. He led her into the double doors and through the halls. The walls were black brick, and the halls were dimly lit. It was cool inside the building, but not to the point that it gave her a chill. She wondered if it remained this cool in the summer as well. After making several twists and turns, the man stopped in front of a closed door. He opened it and turned to her, "This is your destination."

"Thank you," She smiled at him before walking through the door. On the other side was a stage, with a microphone, drum set, really everything that would be needed for a live performance. Standing on the stage were four men, ghouls she noticed upon further inspection. Fully clad in their uniforms, mask and all, it was hard to make out who was who. They turned and looked at her as the door closed behind her.

"Oh. You must be Violet," The taller of the four walked over to greet her. Holding out his hand he said, "I'm Omega."

To say she was starstruck was an understatement. She had held her cool during her interview with Papa, but now she was shaking hands with Omega. The Omega. She didn't know what to say, her mouth was dry and eyes wide.

"Hi," She finally was able to choke out, "Yes I'm Violet."

Omega motioned for her to follow him, "Come on over. I'll introduce you to everyone." Following him to the center of the stage she was introduced to Earth, Air, and Water. She noted that Papa was nowhere to be found.

"So you're American right?" Air asked, taking a seat on one of the stairs.

She nodded, "Yep."

"How long you been in Sweden?" Earth asked.

"About a week now. Five days I think."

"So Papa was telling us about the bands you said were your influence," Omega spoke up, "Is that it for you or do you have a wider variety of music you like?"

"Oh," Violet smiled, "I like just about anything. I have a playlist of about 500 songs that's...really out there. It's a little bit of everything."

"You got any ABBA on that playlist?" Water asked.

"Oh fuck yea I do," Violet laughed.

Water chuckled, giving her an approving nod. Grabbing his guitar, Omega turned to her, "You can go ahead and plug in if you'd like. Make sure you're in tune and everything. Papa will be along eventually."

Violet pulled her guitar out of the case and plugged it into the amp that was on what she assumed was her side of the stage. Sitting down cross legged, she plugged in her digital tuner and began making sure everything sounded right. "You know, when I spoke with Papa over the phone he made it seem like you guys were going to be the ones that were late."

Air rolled his eyes, "That sounds like Papa. I can assure you though, he is never and will never be on time. To anything. Ever."

Violet chuckled as she unplugged the tuner, confident her guitar didn't sound like complete shit. Giving the instrument a strum, she double checked the sound and made sure her volume was at the right level. Sounding good, she gave herself an approving nod before throwing the strap over her head and standing up.

"What kind of guitar do you have?" Omega questioned, eyeing her instrument.

"Epiphone Les Paul Special II," She told him, "It's kind of my pride and joy."

"That's a nice guitar," Water complimented.

"Thank you," She smiled at him, "I was terrified to fly with it. Thought it was going to come back to me in pieces."

"Don't worry. Our instruments are handled by professionals when we travel," Earth assured her as he took a seat at his drums, "Not some fucking idiots at an airport."

A door to the right of the seats in front of them opened and Violet looked up to see a ghoul walking towards the stage, aided by a set of crutches. Upon further inspection she noticed the ghoul's right leg was bound in a hard cast. "So this is her?" The ghoul said, eyes on Omega.

Omega nodded, "Yep. This is Violet." Turning to her he said, "Violet. This is Alpha."

She smiled down at the ghoul in front of her, starstruck by him. She hadn't admitted it to anyone here, but Alpha was one of her biggest influences, and she strived to be as good as him. "It's a pleasure to meet you Alpha."

"Yea yea yea," He shrugged, "You better do a good fucking job. I'm awesome. That means you gotta be awesome if you want to take my place up there. Got it?"

Violet nodded, "I'll try my best."

"Don't try," He snapped, "Do."

"I mean if I suck they'll just get someone else to do it though right?"

"You're the only one Papa liked," Alpha told her, "So you gotta do good. He didn't give us any other fucking options."

Violet gave him a curious look. There wasn't anybody else she had to compete against on this? Had Papa already made his decision without even hearing her play?

"We don't know that for sure," Omega piped up, "We just don't know of anybody else he had his eyes set on. You're the only one he's told us about so far. That doesn't mean he doesn't have other options."

Violet was about to speak up when another door opened, silencing her train of thought. Papa walked in, hands over his head as he stretched his back. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he had just rolled out of bed. His eyes met hers and he smiled, "Great. You're already here. Have you met everybody?" His movements were loose and relaxed, completely opposite of the stiff, slightly annoyed Papa she had seen a few days prior. 

She nodded, "Yes I've already been introduced. My guitar is ready and everything."

"Perfect." He walked up to the microphone and pulled it from it's stand. Speaking into it he asked, "Have you listened to Meliora?"

With the microphone she felt a bit on the spot, but pushed through it, "I have. Yes."

"Do you know the songs?"

"Most of them yes."

"Do you know how to play them?"

"A few of them. Not all yet though."

"Which ones do you know?"

"From the Pinnacle to the Pit. Cirice. He Is. Square Hammer."

"Great. We will start with Square Hammer. Ready?" He was now addressing everyone on stage. The ghouls nodded and took their positions. Violet began feeling a bit of anxiety. She had sort of expected things to start out a little less intense at first. She hadn't expected to jump right into a live performance. Taking her place, Violet grit her teeth and waited for her cue. She started out strong but less than a minute in she messed up, and Papa motioned for everyone to stop. 

Violet felt her heart racing as he fixed her with an intense gaze. "Do you know the song?" He asked.

"Yes I know the song." 

"Are you sure?" He pressed.

"Yes. I've never played it with a full band before. It's going to take a time or two for me to get it." She snapped, getting a little defensive.

He must have noticed he was getting to her because he dropped his eyes, "Let us try again yes?"

Violet nodded and took her place once again, preparing for her cue to begin. This time she did much better, getting through the song with only minor mistakes. They were mistakes that would need to be perfected but that could happen over time.

Once the song ended Papa turned to her once again, "That was better."

"Thank you. I thought so too."

"How well do you know Infestissumam?"

"Very well," She admitted, "The only songs I don't know on that album are I'm a Marionette and Infestissumam."

"Good. You know Idolatrine then?"

They went on to play several different songs throughout the different albums. Violet messed up quite a bit, but after a half hour or so she got more comfortable in her skin and even found herself mouthing some of the lyrics to her favorite songs. At the one hour mark, Papa decided that was enough for the day.

"It took a little while for you to warm up but once you did, you did good," Papa complimented Violet as she unplugged her guitar.

"Thank you," She nodded, "It's been a few months since I've played on a stage so, there was little rust."

He smiled at her, causing her face to go slightly pink, "No no. That is expected. You did very good. I am impressed."

She was unable to stop the wide grin from forming on her face, her cheeks reddening deeper, "I hope you know, that is a huge compliment for me. I mean, I'm a hell of a fan and just being here is mindblowing, without you even having to say anything. Coming from you, that means a lot. So thank you." Zipping up her guitar case she stood, slinging the strap over her shoulder. "So uhh...where do I go from here?"'

Papa took a moment to think. Suddenly he held up his pointer finger, motioning for her to wait a moment. Turning around he walked to the center of the stage, motioning for the ghouls to huddle around him.

"So what did you think?" He asked the four ghouls.

"I was impressed," Omega admitted, "She really blended well with me I think."

"Yea she put her all into it," Water agreed.

"I think once she loosens up she'll be perfect," Air nodded.

"Don't ask me I just play drums," Earth shrugged, "I couldn't fucking tell over, well, drums."

Papa leaned back and looked at the ghoul seating at the front of the stage. "Alpha," He called. When Alpha looked up, Papa tilted her head in Violet's direction, "Yes or no?"

Alpha glanced over at Violet, who looked shocked and a little nervous. He thought she did good enough. She had really tried to do her best on the solos, and even though she fucked up a bit she fixed herself and didn't give up. He looked back at Papa and shrugged, "Sure. Whatever."

"Yes. Or. No." Papa demanded.

"Fucking yes!" Alpha shouted.

Turning on his heel, Papa looked at Violet, "Do you want the job?"

Her eyes widened and a huge grin broke out on her face again, "I mean...yea?"

"Then it is yours," Papa nodded, "Welcome to Ghost."

"Holy shit! Thank you!" Violet laughed, amazed that this was actually happening. She couldn't wait to tell Hugo.

Walking back over to her, Papa set his hand on her shoulder, "Yes yes. I will have the driver return you to your hotel so you can pack your belongings. Return here and we will get you a room."

"Great! Now, as I was saying before, where do I go from here? I have no idea how to get back to the entrance."

Papa chuckled. Oh, that's what she meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, she's officially in the band! Hopefully she can get good enough to pull off this tour in time. I really hope I'm portraying Papa III well enough. I've read enough stories on him I should be a master at it, but I never really know. I'm definitely enjoying the ghouls though. I love the ghouls, especially Alpha.
> 
> I'm honestly not trying to make this super long, so within the next few days I should have an actual chapter count on this thing. In the meantime, I love feedback and constructive criticism! Tell me all the things! I like the things!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet adjusts to life in the church and gets to know the ghouls some more

In a matter of two weeks, Violet had gone from a struggling waitress looking for a new band to join in what is known as the 'Bible Belt' of the United States to being the new lead guitarist for Ghost, a Satanic band, living in a Satanic church in Sweden. Culture shock couldn't even begin to describe what she was experiencing. It was still so surreal, there were days she woke up and expected it to all be a dream. She woke up in her dark, cool room every morning and realized she was still here, still actually doing this.  
  
Entering the dining hall, Violet located her usual breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon before taking a seat at one of the long tables. There were considerably more people living in the church than she had anticipated. There were countless ghouls, something she hadn't expected, and even more Sisters of Sin. The ghouls wore their masks literally everywhere, and Violet was still unsure as to why though she had a hunch. The Sisters of Sin wore their usual black and white robes and headdresses and mostly kept to themselves. Most of the inhabitants didn't know what to think of Violet, so they left her alone. The band members were the only ones to talk to her, and Papa was rarely seen in these settings. Violet assumed he had his meals delivered, being the Dark Pope and all.  
  
"Good morning," Omega greeted as he took a seat next to her. Omega was the friendliest of the ghouls she had met, and he seemed to want to make her feel welcome. Violet was ever grateful for him.  
  
"Good morning," She smiled at the large man, "How are you this morning?"  
  
Omega shrugged, "Awake."  
  
Violet chuckled, "I guess that's a good thing huh?"  
  
"Usually," He nodded, "What are your plans for today?"  
  
Violet shrugged, "Well there's no practice today, so I have no clue."  
  
"What do you usually do when we don't have practice?" He asked, Violet hearing a smirk in his tone.  
  
"Read," She explained, "Or practice songs on my own."  
  
"You don't go anywhere?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.  
  
"I don't know how to get anywhere," She spluttered, "I don't want to wander off and get lost. This place is freaking huge!"  
  
Omega laughed, a deep baritone sound, "Violet you have to wander around to find out where everything is. You've been here for over a week and you haven't left your room to do more than eat?"  
  
"Stop laughing at me!" Violet shouted, unable to hide her grin, "I'm surrounded by strange people what do you expect?"  
  
"You have all the confidence in the world during practice but you can't venture out on your own," He shook his head, his eyes giving away the fact he was still smiling.  
  
"Bullshit," She argued, "I was terrified the first day I came to practice."  
  
"Shut the fuck up," Alpha growled as he hobbled over and took a seat across from Violet, "You snapped at Papa the first day you came to practice. Don't fucking lie."  
  
Violet was still slightly in awe at Alpha. She didn't see him as often as the others so she was still a bit starstruck by his presence. It made her hesitate long enough for Omega to get a word in before she could.  
  
"I suggest you hang out with us today and we can show you around so you're not a fucking hermit for the rest of your life," He stated.  
  
Violet shrugged, "Sounds good to me. I need to move around anyways. My legs are getting stiff from sitting around all the time."  
  
"Seriously?" Alpha glared at her, "Your legs are getting stiff?"  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
The ghouls lived underneath the church, and it was surprisingly warmer down here than in the halls upstairs. Violet silently wondered if it had been too cold for the ghouls so the church had installed heating. She would have to ask about that.  
  
"This is the dorm," Omega gestured to the large common area in front of them, "Our rooms are down the halls but we spend most of our time here when we're at the church. This is where all the games are."  
  
"Hey Vi," Water called from his seat on one of the large couches. Water had taken to called her Vi. She wasn't exactly sure why. Nobody else called her that, but Water. Water called her Vi. She didn't question it, but she had considered calling him Wa.  
  
"Hey," She called back with a nod, "What are you guys playing?"  
  
"Halo," He responded as he turned back to the TV.  
  
"Shit yea. Is this two?" She asked, walking up to the couch to get a better look.  
  
"Yep."  
  
Violet squeezed in beside the ghoul and watched him and another ghoul she was unfamiliar with play. She had never been one to play first person shooters but she loved to watch other people play. The other ghoul was whipping Water's ass, and Violet was trying to cheer her bandmate on, but he was no match for this other guy.  
  
"Yea bitch," The ghoul threw up his hands, "You can't beat me."  
  
"Damn Dewdrop," Water sighed, "That was dirty."  
  
"You wanna go?" The ghoul named Dewdrop looked over at Violet.  
  
Violet chuckled and shook her head, "No I do not. I suck at these games. I just like to watch."  
  
"That's fucking wierd," Dewdrop laughed, "You're Alpha's temp right?"  
  
"I prefer to be called Violet but that works too," She rolled her eyes, noticing this ghoul's attitude was worse than Alpha's.  
  
"No point in learning your name if you're just a temp," He shrugged, "You won't be here long anyways."  
  
"Or you could be less of a dick face and maybe we could be friends one day," Violet flashed a fake grin.  
  
"Who the fuck..." The ghoul began.  
  
"Hey!" A curvy female ghoul shouted, walking up to the pair, "Cool off Dewey. There's no need for all that."  
  
Dewdrop rolled his eyes and got up, walking out of the room without a word.  
  
"Sorry about that," The female ghoul said, "Dewdrop is a fire ghoul so he gets worked up easily. I'm Cumulus."  
  
The tension in the room dispersed quickly after the angry ghoul left and soon it was like the incident had never happened. Several hours later, Violet's stomach began rumbling and she realized it was past lunchtime.  
  
"How do I get back upstairs?" She asked Omega, "I'm getting hungry."  
  
The ghoul sighed, "You're hopeless. Come on, I'll escort you."  
  
Violet giggled and followed the ghoul through the labyrinth of hallways and tried to remember the route as they walked.  
  
"So I'm curious about something and I've been wanting to ask about it, but I wasn't sure if I should so I figured I'd ask you since you seem to be pretty chill," Violet blabbed on, a bit nervous about her question.  
  
Omega seemed to be squinting as he looked down at her, "Ok, what is it?"  
  
"Why is everyone wearing masks?" She asked, "Well...you guys at least. I mean, at first I thought it was just because you guys were, well, guys, but then Cumulus is a girl so now I'm confused."  
  
"Uhhh, we're ghouls," He shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Ok, but what does that mean?" She questioned, "I mean I thought ghouls were just the names of the guys in the band but there's like a literal shitload of you guys so what does it mean to be a ghoul?"  
  
Omega stopped walking altogether and faced the woman, "Violet, it means we are literal ghouls. We're not allowed to show our faces to the people of this world. Did Papa not explain any of this to you?"  
  
"No," She spluttered, "Was he supposed to? What do you mean 'the people of this world'?"  
  
Omega sighed dramatically, "God dammit Emeritus. We are beings of Hell. We come from Hell. We were sent here to serve the church, and Papa, in Satan's name, and because we are considered 'lessers' we aren't allowed to remove our masks in the presence of anybody other than other ghouls. Papa was supposed to tell you all of this before your first practice."  
  
Violet stared intently at the ghoul in front of her, trying her best to see if he was fucking with her or not. He seemed to be completely serious, but she still wasn't convinced.  
  
"Are you fucking with me right now? Cause I can't tell if you are or not and I'm seriously confused."  
  
"I'm not fucking with you. I promise you I'm telling you the truth."  
  
"Ok, so Papa didn't tell me any of that," She gestured wildly with her hands, "Is that what Cumulus meant by 'fire ghoul'?"  
  
Omega nodded, "Yes Dewdrop is a fire ghoul. So is Alpha actually."  
  
"What does that even mean?" Violet shouted louder than she had anticipated.  
  
"We're elemental beings," Omega spluttered, surprised by her outburst, "I'm an Aether ghoul and I'm sure you can guess what Air, Water, and Earth are. Is this a dealbreaker? We really need you and you're doing really well..."  
  
Violet held up her hands to stop the ghoul from talking. The silence helped her process everything, well, as much as she could at the moment. It was a lot of information to process.   
  
"All of this," Violet motioned to the area in front of her, "Everything that I've done in the past two weeks, move to Sweden, live here, be a part of this band, it's the opportunity of a lifetime for me. This is something I never expected to actually happen, and this whole 'actual ghoul from actual Hell' is pretty damn close to being a dealbreaker. It's fucking mindblowing and I'm still not sure if I believe you or not, but either way I'm not going to let it get in the way of this opportunity."  
  
Omega nodded and let out a breath he had been holding, "Good. That's good to hear."  
  
"You're not going to like, eat me or anything are you?" Violet questioned with a raised brow.  
  
"No," The ghoul chuckled, "We won't eat you."  
  
"Ok, cool," She nodded, turning to the exit, "Well I'm starving now so..."  
  
"Yea of course," Omega began walking again, "I think you should give Papa a talking to about this though."  
  
"Oh don't worry," Violet cut her eyes up at him, "I plan to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this chapter. I'm not sure when another one will be posted. I'm back in school so it really all depends on when I have time. This was a random, spur of the moment chapter, but I know where I want this story to go so if you like it, hit me with some kudos, tell me what you think, do what you do.
> 
> Until next time!


End file.
